Curl Tails & Twister Tails

Curl tail softbaits at Charlie's Fishing: twister tails and grubs for pike, zander, perch and catfish

Curl tail softbaits, better known as twister tails or grubs, are the soft lures that keep moving when everything else stops. The sickle-shaped tail starts turning at the slowest crawl, flutters on the pause and still works when you speed up, which makes a twister the lure for cold water, pressured fish and the days a paddle tail gets ignored. This page brings together all our curl tails: classic twisters of 7.5 to 13 cm for perch and zander, big grubs of 18 to 30 cm for pike, double tails for shallow rigs and bucktails, and the curl tail eels of Illex. Below we explain how a curl tail works, which size suits each species, how to rig a twister on a jig head, a shallow rig or as a trailer, and how slow you can fish it. Want the whole range of soft lures, including shads, V-tails and craws? Start on our Softbaits page.

How a curl tail works: the sickle tail, single tails, double tails and eels

A curl tail is a thin, flat sickle that sits at an angle to the body. Water catches the inside of the curve, the tail turns over, and that turn repeats as long as the lure moves: a rolling, waving beat that sends out pressure waves without the heavy thump of a paddle. Because the tail is so thin and flexible, it needs almost no speed to start. That is why a twister can be fished slower than a shad, why it keeps fluttering while the lure sinks on a slack line and why it still moves when you hold the rod still in current. The size and thickness of the tail decide the signal. The thin tails of the Rapala CrushCity The Curl and the Nays GHST JNR 35 give a quick, subtle flutter for perch and zander; the massive tails of the Nays GHST 120 and the Frapp Funky Grub 10" move a lot of water for pike. The Frapp Tricky Tail 8" (20 cm) has a long, strongly bent tail with an extended inner edge, so its pulsing vibration holds up at medium and high speed, where thinner tails start to flutter. Double tails such as the Nays TWN 80 and the Frapp Double Croak 7.9" (19 cm) carry two tails on one body for twice the water displacement at a crawl, and the long eel profile of the Illex Dexter Eel 210 combines a curled tail with a tight rolling body. The body shape matters too: the slim GHST bodies have low water resistance and go deep easily, and the triangular Tricky Tail body puts the centre of gravity low so the lure rolls steadily instead of tipping over. Prefer a paddle, a pintail or a craw? See Paddle Tails, V-Tails & Pintails and Craws & Creature Baits.

Classic twisters for perch and zander: 7.5 to 13 cm on a jig head

For perch and zander a twister of 7.5 to 13 cm on a light jig head covers most of the year. The Rapala CrushCity The Curl comes in 3" (7.5 cm, 8 per pack), 4" (10 cm, 6 per pack) and 5" (12.5 cm, 4 per pack) and has a super-responsive tail that undulates at very low speed; salt and scent in the belly make it the pick for picky fish, on a jig head, a drop shot, a Texas rig or a Carolina rig, and for street fishing in canals and harbours. Read Rapala CrushCity The Curl: the curl tail that saves tough days. From Nays come two compact twisters with a flowing action at every retrieve speed: the Nays GHST JNR 35 (8.9 cm, 4.1 g, 6 per pack) is the perch size and the product page pairs it with the BKK Hyperlatch Round Jig Hooks in 1/0, and the Nays GHST JNR 50 (12.7 cm, 11.1 g, 4 per pack) is the zander size on a 3/0 Hyperlatch, fished slowly along the bottom or more actively through the water column; both also work as a trailer on a small spinnerbait or chatterbait. Twisters shine when every angler on your stretch fishes a paddle tail: the different vibration can be the trigger that turns followers into takers. See all lures for Perch and Zander, the Zander and Perch Softbaits, and the brands Rapala and Nays.

Big twisters and grubs for pike: 18 to 30 cm

A pike grub starts at about 18 cm and goes up to 30 cm. The Nays GHST series has a massive curly tail on a slim, ribbed body with a realistic eye, hand-painted and produced without harmful plasticisers. The Nays GHST 80 (20.3 cm, 46 g) is the most versatile size: on a jig head, a large offset hook over weed and timber, a shallow rig or as a trailer behind a bucktail; the product page pairs it with the BKK Chain Stinger Rig in #1 or the VMC Pike Chain Rig in M. The Nays GHST 100 (25.4 cm, 89 g) is made for the shallow rig and a BKK Chain Stinger Rig 2/0, and the Nays GHST 120 (30.4 cm, 142 g) is the big-bait size with a 3/0 chain; the slim body makes every GHST easy to take deeper with an added weight. Frapp builds two grub families. The Frapp Funky Grub 8" (20 cm, 56 g) and the Frapp Funky Grub 10" (25 cm, 88 g) have an oversized curly tail that rolls and waves at speeds where most big softbaits go dead, a flat back and slim belly for stable tracking, and a reinforced front section; they fit the VMC Mustache Shallow and also fish on a bait screw with stinger, a heavy jig head or a large offset hook. The Frapp Tricky Tail 8" (20 cm) (20 cm, 51.9 g) and Frapp Tricky Tail 10" (25 cm) (25 cm, 101 g) are the grubs for faster fishing and sharp jigging strokes along drop-offs, on a BKK Chain Stinger Rig in #1 or 2/0 or a VMC Pike Chain Rig, with an Illex John Weight clipped on when the pike sit deeper. The BIM Tackle VV Cruiser (18 cm, 52 g) has a hook-shaped curly tail that starts with the slightest movement and sends out low-frequency vibration, with flat sides that add flash; it is made to be fished high in the water on the BIM Tackle Shallow Cruiser Rig over weed beds, shoals and shallow margins. The Rapala Soft Olio 18 cm (18 cm, 55 g) is the twin-curl brother of the Soft Peto: a rolling body with two curly tails that keep spinning at the slowest retrieve and flutter on the pause while it sinks, unweighted on a bait screw and Pike Chain at about half a metre, deeper with a John Weight. From Sweden comes the handpoured U-Bait U-Curl 30 cm (30 cm, 80 g), a static body with a snake-like tail, fished ultra shallow on an unweighted stinger system or with a weight clipped on. See Pike Softbaits, all lures for Pike, and the brands Frapp, BIM Tackle and U-BAiT.

Double tails: twin tails for shallow rigs and bucktails

A double tail twister has two sickle tails side by side, so it pushes twice the water at the same crawl and throws a wide silhouette. The Nays TWN range adds a ribbed body and a central pintail between the tails: the Nays TWN 60 (15.2 cm, 34 g) fishes on a big jig head, a large offset hook such as the BKK Titan Rider 6/0 for weedless work over weed and timber, or as a trailer behind a Mustache or Miuras style bucktail; the Nays TWN 80 (20.3 cm, 74 g) and the Nays TWN 100 (25.4 cm, 142 g) are made for the shallow rig, fished extremely slowly so the lure stays in the pike's field of view, which is exactly what you want over weed beds, shallow flats and along reed beds when the big ones are lazy. The Frapp Double Croak, developed with Main Target, is a bulky double tail that works alone or as a trailer: the Frapp Double Croak 5.9" (15 cm) (15 cm, 26 g) suits medium-heavy tackle and also catches zander, the Frapp Double Croak 6.5" (16.5 cm) (16.5 cm, 34.5 g) is the all-round size and the Frapp Double Croak 7.9" (19 cm) (19 cm, 53 g) is for large pike on heavier rods; all three fish unweighted with an active retrieve or twitches, or on the VMC Mustache Shallow and the BIM Shallow Cruiser Rig. The CWC Double Tail (17 cm, 49 g) is the original twin tail of the Miuras Mouse, sold separately by Catch With Care, and fits the VMC Mustache Shallow, the VMC Pike Chain Rig and our Charlie's Mustache Mouse Combo; the CWC Double Tail Mini (14.5 cm, 20 g) is the version for the VMC Mustache Shallow Baby and the VMC Mustache Rig. Keep one as a spare for the day the teeth shred your tail, or use it to change colour behind a bucktail. Charlie's Mustache Tails (20 cm, two per pack) are our own replacement tails for the VMC Mustache Rig. Read VMC Mustache Rig: four steps to rig this pike bucktail and see Mouse & Bucktail Lures, Catch With Care and Charlie's Fishing.

Curl tail eels: the Illex Dexter Eel for pike, catfish and the sea

An eel is a long, slim softbait with a curled tail, and the Illex Dexter Eel adds the tight rolling body and the Nitro Booster shellfish attractant of the Dexter Shad. The long profile with its curled tail sends out deep, low-frequency vibration that predators pick up from a distance without looking unnatural, and all three sizes are floating, so they rise on the pause and swim down slowly with a weight. The Illex Dexter Eel 150 (15 cm, 21.5 g) fishes on a jig head, an offset hook, a Texas rig or weightless, and as a trailer on swimming jigs, blade jigs and spinnerbaits, for pike, catfish, pollack and ling; the product page pairs it with the Illex Dexter Tip Up Head and a VMC Pike Chain S. The Illex Dexter Eel 210 (21 cm, 64 g) is the pike size, weightless on a screw and stinger such as the BKK Chain in 1/0 or on the Illex Dexter Tip Up Head, and the Illex Dexter Eel 280 (28 cm, 136 g) is the big eel for specimen pike and catfish, and for cod, pollack and halibut at sea, cranked around vegetation or sunk slowly along drop-offs on a BKK Chain in 3/0. Rig big eels for catfish on a chain stinger or a heavy screw-in head and fish them slowly along the deepest edge you can find. See all lures for Catfish and Seabass, and the brand Illex.

Curl tails as trailers: bucktails, spinnerbaits and chatterbaits

A curl tail is the classic trailer, because it moves behind a skirt or blade at any speed and adds length without adding much weight. The Frapp Rowdy Head (24 cm, 70 g) comes ready to fish: a silicone bucktail head with noise slits and a Frapp Tricky Tail 8" as trailer, running about a metre deep on a slow retrieve and deeper with a John Weight on the loop, with the turbulence of the head clearly visible on live sonar; read Frapp Rowdy Head: a ready-to-fish bait pike can't ignore. On a VMC Mustache Shallow or Mustache Rig the Soft Olio, the Funky Grub, the GHST, the TWN and the Double Croak all become a Mustache combo: bucktail in front, curl tails behind, the option for days when pike want more movement than a paddle gives them; the Rapala Soft Otus 18 cm (18 cm, 55 g) is the paddle-tailed brother of the Olio for the same rigs. For a spinnerbait or chatterbait, a 9 to 13 cm twister such as the GHST JNR 50 or the Dexter Eel 150 is the trailer size; see Chatterbaits & Spinnerbaits. Also in this collection: the Savage Gear 3D Hybrid Pike 17 cm (17 cm, 47 g, slow sinking), a hard body shaped after a juvenile pike with a soft tail that pulses at any retrieve speed, for casting and trolling. Read Rapala Soft Peto Mustache: two ready to fish pike combos for how a Mustache combo fishes.

Rigging a curl tail: jig head, shallow rig, screw-in head, weedless and stinger

• Jig head: the standard way to fish a twister for perch and zander. Match the hook to the length of the bait, as the Nays pages do: 1/0 for the GHST JNR 35 (8.9 cm) and 3/0 for the GHST JNR 50 (12.7 cm). Choose the lightest head that still lets you feel the bottom, because a curl tail works best when it falls slowly; the BKK Hyperlatch Round Jig Hooks is the round head our product pages recommend. See all Jigheads.
• Shallow rig: a bait screw in the nose and a chain stinger in the belly, no weight. The VMC Pike Chain Rig comes in S, M and L and the BKK Chain Stinger Rig in #1 to 3/0, matched on each product page: #1 for the GHST 80 and Tricky Tail 8", 2/0 for the GHST 100, Tricky Tail 10" and Funky Grub 10", 3/0 for the GHST 120. This is the rig for the big twisters over weed and shallow flats.
• Screw-in head: the Illex Dexter Tip Up Head (5 to 25 g) screws into the Dexter Eels and other big softbaits and keeps the tail action intact while it takes the lure down.
• Clip-on weight: an Illex John Weight on the stinger or on the loop of the Rowdy Head makes any shallow rig a deep rig without changing the lure.
• Weedless: a large offset hook such as the BKK Titan Rider holds a TWN 60, a GHST 80 or a Funky Grub through weed and timber, and the CrushCity The Curl fishes on a Texas or Carolina rig.
• Bucktail trailer: the VMC Mustache Shallow, the VMC Mustache Rig and the BIM Tackle Shallow Cruiser Rig take any curl tail or double tail from this page.
For pike, always fish a trace such as the VMC Titanium Pike Leader. See Rigs & Stingers, Weights, BKK Hooks, VMC and Lines and Leaders.

Retrieve styles for twisters: slow, slower, vertical

• Slow retrieve: wind in as slowly as you can and let the tail turn. The first choice for the big GHST, TWN, Funky Grub and U-Curl on a shallow rig, and the reason twisters catch in cold water.
• Steady retrieve at speed: the Tricky Tails and the Rowdy Head keep their pulsing vibration at medium and high speed, so you can search water fast and cover drop-offs and deeper edges with sharp jigging strokes.
• Lift and drop: lift the rod tip, let the twister sink back on a tight line and repeat. Zander take on the drop, when the tail flutters, so the GHST JNR 50 and the CrushCity The Curl belong on a jig head for this.
• Fishing the pause: a sinking twister such as the Soft Olio flutters as it sinks, and the floating Dexter Eels rise on the pause; that is where a following pike makes up its mind.
• Vertical: straight under the boat with a heavier head or chain, with the Tricky Tails, the Funky Grub 10" on a heavy jig head or a Dexter Eel on a Tip Up Head; the Rowdy Head shows up clearly on live sonar.
• Drop shot: the CrushCity The Curl 3" and 4" hang still above the bottom and keep moving, for perch on pressured water.

Which curl tail for which situation

• Perch on a light jig head or drop shot: CrushCity The Curl 3" or 4", or GHST JNR 35 on a 1/0 head.
• Zander along the bottom: GHST JNR 50 on a 3/0 head or CrushCity The Curl 5", lift and drop.
• Cold water and pressured pike: a big twister as slow as possible, such as the GHST 100, TWN 80, Funky Grub 10" or U-Curl 30 cm on a shallow rig.
• Summer over shallow weed and flats: VV Cruiser on the Shallow Cruiser Rig, TWN 80 or 100, GHST 100 or Soft Olio, unweighted.
• Weed and timber, weedless: TWN 60, GHST 80 or Funky Grub on a Titan Rider 6/0.
• Searching water fast and sharp jigging along drop-offs: Tricky Tail 8" or 10" on a chain stinger, or the Rowdy Head.
• Coloured water and low light: double tails that push water, such as the TWN 100, Double Croak 7.9" or CWC Double Tail behind a bucktail.
• Catfish and deep edges: Dexter Eel 280, Funky Grub 10" or Double Croak 7.9" on a chain stinger, slow along the bottom.
• A spare tail for your bucktail: CWC Double Tail, Double Tail Mini, Charlie's Mustache Tails or a Tricky Tail 8" for the Rowdy Head.
Prefer a stronger thump or a subtler signal? See Paddle Tails and V-Tails & Pintails, or go big with Soft Swimbaits and Glidebaits.

Why buy curl tail softbaits at Charlie's Fishing

We pick our twisters and grubs from brands such as Rapala, Nays, Frapp, Illex, BIM Tackle, Catch With Care, U-BAiT and Savage Gear Lures, from the scented CrushCity twisters for perch to handpoured 30 cm pike grubs from Sweden, with the shallow rigs, stingers, screw-in heads and jig heads from VMC and BKK Hooks to rig them. Everything ships from our stock in the Netherlands with fast delivery across Europe, and we are happy to help you match the size, the rig and the head weight to your water. Looking for a present for a predator angler? The Charlie's Fishing Giftbox is in this collection too.

What is the difference between a curl tail, a twister and a grub?

Nothing in practice: all three names describe a softbait with a thin, sickle-shaped tail that turns and waves on the retrieve. Twister is the Continental name, grub the UK and US name, and curl tail describes the shape. A double tail or twin tail has two of these tails on one body, and an eel is a long, slim body with a curled tail.

Which size twister for perch, zander and pike?

For perch, 7.5 to 10 cm on a 1/0 jig head or a drop shot. For zander, 10 to 13 cm on a 3/0 jig head, fished close to the bottom. For pike, 18 to 25 cm on a shallow rig or jig head, and 25 to 30 cm when you fish for a few big bites. For catfish, the biggest eels and grubs of 25 cm and more.

Which jig head or rig do I need for a curl tail?

For twisters up to 13 cm, a round jig head with a hook that matches the length of the bait and the lightest weight that still gives you bottom contact. For pike grubs from 18 cm, a shallow rig with a bait screw and a chain stinger is the standard: it keeps the lure high over weed and lets the tail work at a crawl, and a clip-on weight takes the same rig deeper. Screw-in heads and large weedless offset hooks are the alternatives for deep water and heavy cover.